The invention relates generally to firearm holsters and more specifically it relates to a firearm holster of solid (i.e. without breaks or gaps) ballistic material that retains or deflects bullets when a firearm is discharged into the holster.
Currently, firearm users who carry a firearm on their person in a concealed or non-concealed manner have a number of choices for holstering and carrying their weapon. These options can be made of hard or soft materials. The holster can be designed to be worn outside or inside of the pants. The holster can also be attached to many locations on a user's body using a carrying device, including, for example, a belt, waistband, a vest, chest rig, ankle holster or a shoulder harness. In addition, holsters are often attached to surfaces in locations other than on a user's body, such as in a vehicle or on furniture like a desk, shelf, bed, counter or table using a mount or other carrying device.
In the course of inserting or withdrawing the firearm from the holster, it is possible to unintentionally actuate the firearm trigger either by the user or by a foreign object. This actuation of the trigger creates an unintentional discharge of the weapon. In addition, there are situations where someone other than the user may attempt to discharge the firearm through the holster during a struggle. Since the holster is attached to the user's body, this event may cause injury or death to the firearm user or create collateral damage to other people or objects. To minimize this type of occurrence, many firearms are designed with safety mechanisms that prohibit the weapon from being discharged, even if the trigger is pulled. However, the use of a safety mechanism may impair the user's ability to operate the firearm so the user may choose not to engage the mechanism or disengage it during use. Other firearms in regular use do not even contain such safety mechanisms or have a safety that can be easily actuated by a foreign object. For these reasons and others, firearm discharge inside a holster is a serious problem for users.
One solution to this problem is to purchase a soft firearm holster with a ballistic material insert at the bottom. One problem with this solution is that the ballistic material is limited to the bottom of the holster and is not present in the entire holster. Thus, the discharged bullet will only be stopped if the firearm is pointed directly at the insert at time of unintentional discharge. This may not be effective, however, since most unintentional discharges occur during the insertion or withdrawal of the firearm from the holster during which time the firearm moves through a range of positions relative to the holster and won't always be aimed directly at the bottom of the holster. Another problem with this solution is that soft ballistic material is constructed using seams which do not have the same ballistic properties as the non-seamed surfaces. It is possible for the discharged bullet to penetrate the holster if it is struck in one of these seams. In addition, soft ballistic material is prone to wear over time that can degrade its ballistic properties, it is bulky and unpractical for serious use because it may impede or come out of the holster when the firearm is drawn, particularly during quick fast and multiple draws and re-holstering such as occur when a firearm user is in training.
Thus, a need exists for a firearm holster that incorporates ballistic material, is constructed in a seamless manner, and is constructed of molded ballistic materials to form a solid holster, i.e. without breaks or gaps. There is a further need for a firearm holster that is lightweight and comfortable to carry on a user's body while being sturdy and able to withstand harsh conditions.